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I picked this one up from the good folks at BlackBerry Cool. A survey of people looking to buy a smartphone in the near future doesn’t bode well for the BlackBerry. It reveals that the majority, 56 percent, of respondents prefer the iPhone 3G to the competition. The BlackBerry Bold sits down at 23 percent. Price was the biggest factor, as the iPhone will carry a $199 or $299 price tag, while the Bold will likely come in the $350 range — though there are usually mail-in rebates to bring that down. The second and third considerations were 3G speeds and GPS, though the Bold has both of them. So is RIM doing a poor job of promoting the features of its newest baby? Maybe. If they were clear about pricing and features, they might be in a better position to compete with the iPhone. That, and if they could get AT&T to actually release the thing. The Bold has passed FCC muster, though, so maybe we’ll see it soon? A man can dream.

It is not our intention on BBGeeks to be a rumor clearing house. However, when something comes along that we think is fairly accurate, we will pass it along to readers. When I first heard that Rogers would be dropping the BlackBerry Bold on July 25, I paused for a moment. Not that I don’t trust CrackBerry. It’s just that we’ve heard so many rumors, and so many of them have been nothing but bunk. This one seems to have legs, though. Kevin has an insider source from Rogers on this one, plus the 25th is just a week after the last release party. So everything seems to line up. We’ll let you know when this gets official, but I’m beginning to think that this is the real deal.

We start the day on a bitter note. According to The Boy Genius, AT&T still isn’t satisfied with the battery life and the overheating issues of the BlackBerry Bold. They haven’t certified it, and as a result we’re facing a delay, probably until mid-August. BGR is citing two “high level sources,” and apparently this is being taken seriously. If so, it would be a shame for U.S. BlackBerry customers. No such delay is rumored at Rogers, who still have their release parties. Once again, though, nothing is official, and we’ll continue pursuing this storyline.

It was certainly easy to overlook while playing with the BlackBerry Bold. With the new OS, including the browser (I’m probably going to mention the browser in every post), physical aspects of the device are easy to glaze over. Especially when those physical aspects are on the back of the device. One of the neat new features of the Bold is the removable back cover. It’s a textured leather feel, and I was lucky enough to see what the new skins are going to look like. They’re nothing more than you’d really expect. However, because they do cover the entire back of the device, they provide a good opportunity to personalize your BlackBerry Bold. After the jump, you can take a glimpse for yourself.

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Well, the rumors were true. Last night, RIM announced the BlackBerry Bold, “a smartphone that makes a bold statement.” It is model No. 9000, though it sounds like RIM is going to start naming its devices, rather than going by the model number. You can check out the Bold’s website at BlackBerryBold.com. A couple of things that jump out at me after the jump.

Read the rest of Like clockwork, BlackBerry Bold is announced…